History

The Wall of Fame van MeMC

HISTORY OF VUB...

Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) originated from the French speaking Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), that was founded in 1834 by a Brussels' lawyer with Flemish roots, Pierre-Théodore Verhaegen. It was his intention to create a university independent of church and state at which academic freedom would roam. Although ULB would already teach in Dutch at the law faculty as early as 1935, it wouldn't be until 1963 before practically all faculties would teach in Dutch. The law of May 28th, 1970 legally confirmed the administrative, legal and scientific division of the old university into a Dutch speaking university (VUB) and French speaking university (ULB).

...AND BASIC PHILOSOPHY

Vrije Universiteit Brussel is the only Flemish university that has the principles of 'Free Inquiry' written into its articles of association. These principles are based on the writings of French mathematician and natural philosopher Henri Poincaré (1854-1912) who said:

Thinking must never submit itself,
neither to a dogma,
nor to a party,
nor to a passion,
nor to an interest,
nor to a preconceived idea,
nor to anythinig whatsoever,
except to the facts themselves,
because for it to submit to anything else would be the end of its existence.

It is therefore not surprising that the VUB stamp bears the motto 'scientia vincere tenebras' (conquer darkness through science). the beggar's bag and the joined hands onthe orange-white-blue university emblem (the colours refering to the ones of the flag of the Prince of Oranje) refer to the Geuzen and their leader, the Prince of Oranje, who dared to go against the ever so powerful caatholic Spanish ruler in the sixteenth century. The motto, combined with the beggar's bag and the joined hands, are a symbol of the free and unfettered chaaracter of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel.

Another basic principle, also included in the articles of assocation of VUB, is that the institution must be managed democratically. This means that all sections - professors, assistants, researchers, students and administrative and technical staff - are represented in al governing bodies. In this way, we guarantee that each section has a broad say in the decision-making process and thus participates in the policy.